- >Fucking hell your head hurts.
- >”Stay still, pain is to be expected.”
- “Ugh, my head…”
- >”You’ve come quite a ways. Just try and stay calm.”
- “W- What happened to me? I was- sitting on my couch- and there was a light.”
- >”We can explain everything in time. Please rest.”
- >You can’t rest. It’s not in your nature to do nothing.
- >”What is your name?”
- >You struggle to your feet.
- “Anon.”
- >”Hydra’s Piss!”
- >”Silence!”
- >There’s more than one of them.
- >You’re slowly getting your vision back.
- >”You really should sit down.”
- >She rests a hoof on your chest and-
- “Hoof?”
- >”Oh my… please stay calm.”
- >You step back and rub your eyes.
- “You’re a- pony?!”
- >She’s a bit smaller than you and a vibrant pink.
- >She also has a pair of wings and a horn on her head.
- “Pegasus? Unicorn? Where the fuck am I?!”
- >”Please remain calm.”
- “How the hell can I remain calm when I get kidnapped by a fucking mystical creature?!”
- >It’s not just her either, there’s a dozen other unicorns and pegasi about.
- >”My name is Cadence, I wish we could’ve met in better circumstances.
- “You think?”
- >”I will explain everything in time, just let me.”
- >Okay Anon, calm your dick down.
- “Fine…”
- >She leads you off of some kind of altar, the guards keeping a close eye on you.
- “Exactly why am I here?”
- >”We brought you here.”
- “So you did this? Why?”
- >”Because Equestria needs a hero right now, and you’re it.”
- >Hero? That’s just rich, what are they going to think of next.
- >”This is no laughing matter. Things have gone to Tartarus and back.”
- “Don’t mean to disappoint you, but I’m not a hero. I was barely an athlete.”
- >”A hero transcends the physical, Anon. We know this well.”
- >The two of you enter a great hall, pictures etched into the stone walls.
- >”You are not the first to come.”
- >”When the Griffon tribes united against us, a hero rose to fight them.”
- >”When the Dragon Migration threatened our existence, a hero rose to sway them.”
- >”When the Gates of Tartarus broke open, a hero rose to send them back.”
- >She turns to the last picture at the end of the hall.
- >”When chaos tore its way across the land, a hero rose to bring peace. You are that hero.”
- “You may not know this, but I’m not exactly from around here.”
- >”Neither were they.”
- >She places her hoof on the wall.
- >”They were like you, human.”
- “Bullshit.”
- “I’m a nobody, literally. It’s in my god damn name.”
- >”You’re the hero Equestria needs. Please…”
- “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
- >She bows her head in defeat.
- >”Then he has won.”
- >A minotaur bursts through the doors wielding a giant axe.
- >Thank god you said no.
- >”Iron Will, what’s wrong?”
- >”The gate’s have been breached. He’s coming here, now.”
- >”Not this soon, we aren’t ready yet.”
- “What’s not ready?”
- >”Take him, get him and as many others out as you can.”
- >”Understood Princess.”
- >Cadence escorts you back to the main chamber.
- “Princess? Something you want to tell me?”
- >”I am royalty no longer. Not since he arose.”
- “He?”
- >”The god of Chaos… Discord.”
- >The doors to the chamber throb as they block the oncoming horde.
- >”I promised to give you an explanation as to why you’re here, but for now I need you to follow Iron Will.”
- “This conversation isn’t over.”
- >The minotaur grabs you by the collar and drags you back.
- >”It is for you boy.”
- >Your struggles are useless against him.
- >”When things are at their darkest, do not give in to temptation.”
- “What does that even mean?”
- >”It means you’ll figure it out later when the plot needs you to.”
- “Did you just-“
- >”Shut up.”
- >Iron Will grinds open a hidden tunnel, a line of ponies swarming inside.
- >”It’s been an honor Ma’am.”
- >”Keep him safe.”
- >He nods, the last of the ponies through.
- >He replaces the stone wall, blocking you off from Cadence.
- >Wood shatters from the main room, a familiar hiss cutting through the air.
- >”Ripley, down girl.”
- >That must be Discord. You can hear the evil within him.
- >”Cadence my dear, such an honor to finally meet you.”
- >”Do not think you can sway me like the others.”
- >”If I wanted to, you’d be kissing my feet like a good little slave, but I’m in a good mood today. Your little resistance has finally come to an end.”
- >She chuckles, “You are too late, he has already returned.”
- >”And you think some hero can stop me? Didn’t you learn anything from before?”
- >”If you think you have a chance against me hero, think again. This is not my first rodeo.”
- >You listen at the wall, Iron Will waiting for you.
- >”I think it’s time you met an old friend.”
- >Cadence screams in agony.
- >”You hear that hero? You’re next.”
- >”Stop! I’m begging you!”
- >You can hear the smugness in his voice, “Ok…”
- >A sickening crack rings out, followed by a heavy thud.
- >”Twilight tear this castle about until you find that man, and bring me the prisoners, I want them alive!”
- >Iron Will pulls you away and down the corridor.
- >She stayed back… she could’ve betrayed you to him.
- >But she didn’t. She was the better man, manlier than you.
- >You follow the group through the caverns eventually finding the way out.
- >The cold air chills your body, but it’s nothing you haven’t felt before.
- “Where are we?”
- >”The Shoh mountains, our last home.”
- >Snow drifts down from the sky, coating the brute with a small white layer.
- >”We are broken.”
- >This is all that’s left of them.
- >A group of around thirty, cast out from their home.
- >You get a good look at where you were, the castle ablaze in an inferno.
- >An army stretches out from the gates, a sea of evil and death.
- >And you’re supposed to stop that?
- >Fucking hell, you’re beyond screwed.
- >Your group makes camp for the night.
- >You sit by the fire, shivering as the ice begins to wear on you.
- >A blanket is wrapped around your shoulders.
- >”Thought you could use this.”
- >A unicorn sits next to you, her mane white as snow, with the snow atop snow.
- >Snowception.
- “Thanks.”
- >She smiles and holds her hooves in front of the fire.
- >The fire shimmers against her shades, her cobalt hair swaying slightly.
- >”So you’re the big hero we were expecting…”
- “You could say that.”
- >You. A Hero. A pipe dream at its finest.
- “How long have you been at war? It can’t have been easy.”
- >”Two and half years if I recall, not that it matters anymore.”
- >You can’t even comprehend fighting for that long. It doesn’t seem possible.
- “Where to next?”
- >”There is no next. We left our last home behind. For now, we run and we survive.”
- “That’s no way to live.”
- >”Nop0ny said it was living.”
- >You slip into an uncomfortable silence between the two of you.
- >You pull the blanket around her as well.
- “My name’s Anon.”
- >”Vinyl.”
- >The two of you watch the fire burn away.
- “Nice to meet you Vinyl.”
- >You wake up on the ground next to Vinyl.
- >A good night’s sleep is supposed to get rid of your problems.
- >Whoever said that was a liar.
- >You wrap the blanket around her and walk around camp.
- >Most of the ponies are still asleep, though a few are attending to their effects.
- >They look up at you with hazy eyes.
- >They’ve gone for so long fighting a losing battle.
- >They’re tired of fighting. They just want it to end.
- >A sizzling sound flutters to you, drawing you in.
- >Nothing smells quite as good as bacon in the morning.
- >You find Iron Will sitting at the edge of camp, holding a skillet over his own fire.
- >He’s cooking some eggs and bacon. Delicious.
- “Mind if I join you?”
- >”Not at all.”
- >You clear a spot of snow and sit beside him.
- >”Care for some breakfast?”
- “Never turn down bacon.”
- >He laughs a little, slipping you a few slices.
- “Thankya kindly.”
- >”We’re in this together. To the End.”
- >”Tell me a little about yourself.”
- “Nothing much to tell. Just a regular guy, making his way through life.”
- >”Any family?”
- “Nah, they passed by the time I got out of College, and I haven’t seen my brother in ages.”
- >”Sorry to hear that.”
- “Don’t worry about it. It’s all in the past now.”
- >You savor your meal, knowing the picking are going to get scarce.
- >Out of all the people in your world, they picked you.
- >Not a soldier, or a politician, or a doctor.
- >A run of the mill guy.
- >Why?
- >Iron Will slurps down his eggs, getting on his hooves.
- >”We got a long day ahead of us.”
- >He whistles, one of the stallions approaching fast.
- >”Yes sir?”
- >”Get everyone ready to move. We can’t afford to be sitting around.”
- >”Aye aye.”
- >He rushes off, stirring up the rest of your group.
- “We have a place in mind?”
- >”We’re going to regroup with one of our scouting parties that was caught outside when they struck.”
- “Strength in numbers right?”
- >”I’d rather us be together.”
- >He lifts his axe over his shoulder and looks outwards.
- >”Let’s get moving. We’re burning daylight.”
- >Your group moves through the icy wastes.
- >You stay up front with Iron Will, helping him clear a path forwards.
- “So what exactly are we up against here? Dragons? Hydras?”
- >”Kid, I’ve been fighting this war since the start and I still can’t answer that question.”
- “How can you not know?”
- >He sighs, his voice tired.
- >”I’ve seen all of what Equestria has to offer, and they’re not it.”
- “So they don’t exist in this world.”
- >”You got it.”
- >So you’re fighting things they haven’t even seen before.
- >Iron Will stops, eying the peak of a nearby hill.
- >”Something’s wrong.”
- >He looks back to the group.
- >”Prepare for battle.”
- “There’s no one there, you’re just overreacting.”
- >”Let’s go.”
- >He charges up through the thickened snow and up the hill.
- >You can hear the clanging of steel as you get closer.
- >Fuck he was right.
- >You get to the top and overlook the battle field.
- >You’ve got ponies on one side and… that can’t be right.
- >“Charge!”
- >You’re left stunned as your group advances into the fray.
- >They- They don’t exist. It’s not real.
- >”You coming or what?”
- >Vinyl pushes you downhill and into the war zone.
- >A rush of heat hits you as the battle turns into a cluster-fuck.
- >You can’t fight them. This is just…
- >”Look out!”
- >Vinyl pierces on of the creatures with her horn.
- >It collapses, Vinyl beating it to a pulp.
- “It’s not real…”
- >”Better start believing, cause they know you are.”
- >You reach into your pocket, finding your knife still there.
- >You flip it open, standing back to back with Vinyl.
- >One of the creatures lunges at you.
- >You meet it with a knife to the neck.
- >It gurgles as its blood oozes from its neck.
- >You kick out its front legs and curbstomp that bitch.
- >You stab it repeatedly in the skull, its blood spraying onto your face.
- “Die you piece of shit!”
- >You stab it in the eye socket, a few sparks shooting out.
- >You breathe deeply and lean back.
- “Fucking husks.”
- >Adrenaline pumps through your veins.
- >”Good job with that one.”
- >But there’s more.
- >You tackle a second husk landing on its back.
- >You punch at its ribs, neck, skull, legs.
- >Whatever you can.
- >This thing doesn’t exist for a reason.
- >Vinyl rushes over and breaks its spine with one buck.
- >”You need to work on your form.”
- >You want this to end.
- >A deep metallic groan escapes from the crowd.
- >You know what that is as well.
- >”Show them that you rock!”
- >You push your way over to Iron Will, standing face to face with a Black Knight.
- >Your mind is so full of fuck right now.
- >He lunges forward, striking it dead in the chestplate.
- >The creature roars in pain, smacking him away with one hand.
- >Fuck fuck fuck!
- >It pulls the axe out of its chest, twirling it around with ease.
- >You charge forward, the Knight’s axe raised. *clunk*
- >You fall back on the ground, stars spinning around your head.
- >The Knight looks at you, freezing.
- >”Target Acquired.”
- >He drops the axe, picking you up by the throat.
- >”Hero…”
- >You lay limp at his mercy.
- >”Return to base.”
- >He turns around, Iron Will picking up his axe.
- >”Forget something?”
- >He plunges the axe into the knight’s back.
- >You fall to the floor as the knight wails.
- >Its body disintegrates into ash, floating away.
- >The axe however, keeps going, landing between your legs.
- >Inches from your junk.
- >You look up at the minotaur.
- “The fuck man? You trying to kill me?”
- >”Not yet anyways.”
- >He drags the axe backwards, slicing another husk in half.
- >He gets you back to your feet, though you’re still disoriented.
- >With the Knight gone, the husks aren’t much of a threat.
- >The group dispatches them one by one.
- >You take a rain check while Iron Will protects you.
- >That bump to the head really took it out of you.
- >The last of them scurry off past the horizon.
- >”Status report.”
- >Vinyl gets back to you two.
- >”Three casualties, seven wounded.”
- >”And the others?”
- >A pegasus lands beside her.
- >”No casualties, though we’ve all taken some hits.”
- >Iron Will nods, “Good to see you still kicking Soarin.”
- >”Likewise big guy.”
- >He looks at you warily.
- >”Who’s the new recruit?”
- >”He’s our last hope,” Iron Will replies.
- >”So the ritual worked? This is great news, we may be able to turn things around.”
- >He extends a hoof, “The name’s Soarin, Captain of the Wonderbolts.”
- “Anon, pleased to-“
- >”Anon.”
- >He pulls his hoof away looking to Iron Will.
- >”You playing a joke on me or what?”
- >”It’s no joke.”
- >He grunts and rolls his eyes.
- “Was it something I said?”
- >”You better be worth it.”
- >He looks back to Iron Will.
- >”Keep the guy at bay, or I will.”
- “What’s that supposed to mean?”
- >Soarin trots away, only angering you further.
- “I said, what the fuck is that supposed to mean!?”
- >He bucks you as you try to follow, sending you on your rear.
- >”Maybe you should put him on a leash?”
- “Fuck you!”
- >You stand up and dust yourself off, swatting Iron Will’s hand away.
- >Vinyl pulls you away from him.
- “I’m going to kill him.”
- >”I think you need to calm down.”
- >You’re as fucking calm as you can be right now.
- “How do you expect me to react? Huh?! I was stolen away from my fucking home for a fight I don’t have a god damn stake in!”
- >”Anon please-“ Iron Will starts to speak.
- “No. I had a life, I had dreams and aspirations. And then you guys just said ‘NOPE! Chuck fucking Testa.’ You have RUINED my life.”
- >You kick one of the corpses next to you.
- “And don’t even get me started on these fucking guys! You metallic husk pieces of shit.”
- >You pound the lifeless body with your shoe, only serving to tire you out.
- >”So… you know what these things are?”
- “Yeah I do,” you kick the husk in the skull, “These things are called husks. Basic infantry type units, weak as fuck.”
- >”Do you know how to fight them?”
- “I know how to pull the right trigger on my controller. This thing isn’t supposed to be fucking real.”
- >It’s from a video game for god’s sake.
- >”I don’t follow.”
- “This thing doesn’t exist. It’s an idea, a fucking thought. This place entire place is one shitty nightmare.”
- >Kicking the body one last time you storm off through the blooded battlefield.
- >A frozen stream lies before you.
- >You sit down and place your head in your hands.
- >This seriously can’t be happening to you.
- >You pick up a small stone and roll it in your hand.
- >”Care if I sat next to you?”
- “Kind of.”
- >She sits regardless, “Good view you have here.”
- “Shame the smell ruins the occasion.”
- >You toss the stone onto the frozen water.
- >”I know how you must feel.”
- “No, you really, really don’t.”
- >She lowers her shades, her dazzling red eyes shimmering.
- >”Fair enough, but I do know what it’s like to lose a home.”
- >She bows her head, “When the mane 6 fell, so did our hopes at salvation. Chaos spread like a plague, my home, Canterlot, was at the center.”
- “How did you escape?”
- >”I didn’t. I was in Ponyville at the time, one of the lucky ones I’ve been told.”
- “No one is lucky in war.”
- >”Only the dead can truly find peace.”
- >”I know you don’t have a stake in this fight, but we do. Every day that passes, more of us fall to that tyrant who calls himself our leader. We need a hero, and you’re the closest thing we’ve got left.”
- “And what if I can’t win? What if I can’t beat Discord?”
- >She cocks her head, “Discord?”
- “The tyrant. The guy who I’m supposed to stop. That’s his name right?”
- >”Discord’s been dead for years. Didn’t the princess tell you this?”
- >No she didn’t. She didn’t tell you anything.
- >”Our hero slew the chaos god in Canterlot Castle, only to turn into something far worse.”
- >You look back to the stream, gingerly getting back to your feet.
- >”I thought they would’ve told you.”
- “It doesn’t matter. Human or… whatever the fuck Discord was, he’s nothing more than a rabid dog. I’m just the vet who puts him down.”
- >She joins in your walk back to the camp.
- >”You had me worried back there you know. You almost sounded like Anonymous did.”
- >You freeze, Vinyl not noticing until you speak up.
- “What did you just say?”
- >”I said you had me worried-“
- “After that. Who did you say I sounded like?”
- >”Anon you’re scaring me.”
- “Please. Just… tell me his name.”
- >It couldn’t be him. You were told he’d died.
- >Could it though? No, it’s not possible.
- >But neither were husks and black knights, and here they are.
- >”His name…”
- >You hold her and look her dead in the eye.
- >”Is Anonymous.”
- >You shiver, though not from the cold.
- >But from something worse.
- >His voice was different. Aged maybe?
- >”Why’s his name so important?”
- >Corrupted more like it.
- “I knew this man… At least, I think I know him.”
- >Could he have really changed so much, so fast?
- >”You- really?”
- >He wouldn’t do this. He couldn’t.
- “Anonymous, Anon. We were always so close…”
- >Your eyes drift back to the burning castle lying on the mountain’s edge.
- “The man is my brother.”
- >The bastard who left you…

